Telling her story of how she started. She was sick – had to take lots of pills, see lots of doctors, etc.

Through lots of hard work, she’s healthy again – because of nature partly.

She loved gardening so much, she started writing about gardening – even had a column in a newspaper …. Started lots of gardening! So much so that she quit her job – and the gardening thing she attributes to her health – she went from 18 prescriptions to 2 … Because of a lifestyle change.

If you don’t be personal in social media, you’re not going to connect with people…

She wrote a book, and to sell it, she built a brand.

Define target market and key brand, message and values, and define what your product is

The product wasn’t her book – it is her. Shes selling herself and her brand.

Mistake – choosing look and feel over building quality content. The result is no traffic.

Solution – unify brand with the content and message, placing non-broadcast and sharing communications as the #1 goal.

She uses her main website to connect people to her. Communities – her blog, her twitter account, her Facebook page, her YouTube site,Â Â etc.

She built her brand first, and now she goes out and gives people a business proposal – and gets to do stuff.

In social media, you are the brand.

Every message you post or send will say who you are as a brand – so be positive and nice! Answer every inquiry kindly

Help others without expecting anythingÂ in return

Follow those who Follow you so you will be available to help them and grow their biz (and yours)

Every time you have answered a question in email, you’ve blown an opportunity to answer for lots of people. Every time you create a brochure, you’ve done the same thing.

Shouldn’t have a social media department – instead, those people should be in sales , marketing, etc.

Treat your communities as gold. Go to the bookstore, get a relationship book, and replace your significant other with your customers, your office, etc. Because it’s much the same thing (ok, except for the romance part).

SAS (the company) – they listen to their customers,thenÂ make stuff for them based on what they say they want.

Three important things to do with social media – listening, connecting, publishing

Connecting – comment on their blogs. Be real, like when you talk to people in real life. Don’t include your URL at the bottom of a comment – it looks like spam.